Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: Volume II

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Virology and Viral Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024 | Viewed by 2382

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Pathology, San Salvatore Hospital, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Interests: primary cytomegalovirus infection; pregnancy; CMV screening; hyperimmune globulin; antiviral strategies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The relevance of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been well known for more than 50 years. However, this virus remains a major cause of severe and permanent disabilities in children, mostly after primary maternal infection, and is associated with severe neurological and hearing sequelae, which may be evidenced during pregnancy, at birth, or years after birth. Hygienic measures can prevent CMV transmission, which mainly occurs following contact with children under 3 years of age when attending a nursery or daycare. Many studies have been conducted considering animal and human pregnancies with the aim of preventing congenital CMV infection and disease using CMV-specific hyperimmune globulin (HIG). A recent study has shown that high-dosage valaciclovir appears to be capable of decreasing the rates of congenital infection and disease. The implementation of CMV screening would enable primary prevention via hygiene counseling, an improvement in the understanding and awareness of congenital CMV infection, and an increase in our knowledge on the potential efficacy of preventive or therapeutic HIG or valaciclovir administration.

The aim of this second Special Issue of Viruses is to compile the newest contributions on the prevention of congenital CMV infection and disease.

Prof. Dr. Giovanni Nigro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • primary cytomegalovirus infection
  • pregnancy
  • CMV screening
  • hyperimmune globulin
  • valaciclovir

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

10 pages, 241 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection in Pregnant Women Admitted to a University Hospital in Istanbul
by Evrim Ozdemir, Tugba Sarac Sivrikoz, Kutay Sarsar, Dilruba Tureli, Mustafa Onel, Mehmet Demirci, Gizem Yapar, Eray Yurtseven, Recep Has, Ali Agacfidan and Hayriye Kirkoyun Uysal
Viruses 2024, 16(3), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16030414 - 08 Mar 2024
Viewed by 836
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause serious complications in immunocompromised individuals and fetuses with congenital infections. These can include neurodevelopmental impairments and congenital abnormalities in newborns. This paper emphasizes the importance of concurrently evaluating ultrasonography findings and laboratory parameters in diagnosing congenital CMV infection. To [...] Read more.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause serious complications in immunocompromised individuals and fetuses with congenital infections. These can include neurodevelopmental impairments and congenital abnormalities in newborns. This paper emphasizes the importance of concurrently evaluating ultrasonography findings and laboratory parameters in diagnosing congenital CMV infection. To examine the prenatal characteristics of CMV DNA-positive patients, we assessed serum and amniotic fluid from 141 pregnant women aged 19–45 years, each with fetal anomalies. ELISA and PCR tests, conducted in response to these amniocentesis findings, were performed at an average gestational age of 25 weeks. Serological tests revealed that all 141 women were CMV IgG-positive, and 2 (1.41%) had low-avidity CMV IgG, suggesting a recent infection. CMV DNA was detected in 17 (12.05%) amniotic fluid samples using quantitative PCR. Of these, 82% exhibited central nervous system abnormalities. Given that most infections in pregnant women are undetectable and indicators non-specific, diagnosing primary CMV in pregnant women using clinical findings alone is challenging. We contend that serological tests should not be the sole means of diagnosing congenital CMV infection during pregnancy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: Volume II)

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 1642 KiB  
Review
Cytomegalovirus Infection in Pregnancy Prevention and Treatment Options: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Magda Rybak-Krzyszkowska, Joanna Górecka, Hubert Huras, Magdalena Massalska-Wolska, Magdalena Staśkiewicz, Agnieszka Gach, Adrianna Kondracka, Jakub Staniczek, Wojciech Górczewski, Dariusz Borowski, Renata Jaczyńska, Mariusz Grzesiak and Waldemar Krzeszowski
Viruses 2023, 15(11), 2142; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15112142 - 24 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1194
Abstract
Objectives: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a significant health concern affecting numerous expectant mothers across the globe. CMV is the leading cause of health problems and developmental delays among infected infants. Notably, this study examines CMV infection in pregnancy, its management, prevention mechanisms, and [...] Read more.
Objectives: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a significant health concern affecting numerous expectant mothers across the globe. CMV is the leading cause of health problems and developmental delays among infected infants. Notably, this study examines CMV infection in pregnancy, its management, prevention mechanisms, and treatment options. Methods: Specifically, information from the Cochrane Library, PUBMED, Wiley Online, Science Direct, and Taylor Francis databases were reviewed along with additional records identified through the register, the Google Scholar search engine. Based on the search, 21 articles were identified for systematic review. Results: A total of six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were utilized for a meta-analytic review. As heterogeneity was substantial, the random effects model was used for meta-analysis. Utilizing the random-effects model, the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) approach, the estimate of effect size (d = −0.479, 95% CI = −0.977 to 0.019, p = 0.060) suggests the results are not statistically significant, so it cannot be inferred that the prevention methods used were effective, despite an inverse relationship between treatment and number of infected cases. The findings indicated that several techniques are used to prevent, diagnose, and manage CMV infection during pregnancy, including proper hygiene, ultrasound examination (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), amniocentesis, viremia, hyperimmunoglobulin (HIG), and valacyclovir (VACV). Conclusions: The current review has significant implications for addressing CMV infection in pregnancy. Specifically, it provides valuable findings on contemporary management interventions to prevent and treat CMV infection among expectant mothers. Therefore, it allows relevant stakeholders to address these critical health concerns and understand the effectiveness of the proposed prevention and treatment options. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: Volume II)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop